February 19, 2023: I’ve had a few glitches on my website after a change in servers by the host; all should be good now. I’m reposting this, originally done earlier in February. Unfortunately, I lost the comments that people had made!

My writing and creative energy have expanded since moving to Victoria. I am in awe of the variety that awaits me when I head out the door for a walk. I could head to the ocean, parks, urban villages, downtown, or tree-lined streets of old houses and birdsong. And, in all of these varied places to meander, I find abundant public art. The wealth of colourful and thought-provoking pieces keeps feeding my writing muse. I enjoy discovering new installations and paintings, from murals on buildings…

to public sculptures….

….to art in the most unexpected places.

The art I find is far more than colour and vibrancy. It often causes me to wonder and think. It increases my awareness of other cultures and ways of living, sometimes triggers an emotional response, and always shows me the rich diversity of human life and creativity. Art enriches my experience of what Victoria is about, and it often stimulates ideas, or helps me think in a new way about something. My walks would be far duller without public art; readers of my Coast Lines blog will know that I’ve frequently blogged about it.

In my post about Place Making (https://linesfromthecoast.blogspot.com/2022/07/making-places.html) I mentioned that I had talked with the mural artist Jesse Campbell while he was working on the Vancouver Street mural.

Campbell told me that it can be difficult to find buildings where the owners are open to having a mural painted on the walls. I was surprised to hear this. I thought everyone loved Victoria’s murals!

Supporting Public Art

When I heard that newly elected councillor Matt Dell was looking to expand the city’s support for public art, I sent him a note applauding the idea. I also told him that I often include Victoria’s public art in my posts.

Dell replied that he had checked out my Coast Lines blog, and loved “the cool stuff I feature”. He suggested I promote my blogs on the #YYJ Twitter community; there, he says, is where many local artists and thinkers share their news. I’ve been reluctant to get into yet another social media rabbit hole, but I’m sure Dell is right. I would love to engage with a wider audience.

Dell also mentioned that we “desperately” need more funding for public art in Victoria.

The positive spin-offs from public art are multiple and varied. Many communities now have a public art strategy. The City of Victoria’s website has this to say: “Public art has the power to energize and enhance our public spaces, make us think, and transform where we live, work, and play.”

Here are some of the benefits I’ve found listed on the websites of communities with public art strategies:

• Contributes to a community’s identity
• Fosters a sense of pride and belonging
• Helps revitalize neighbourhoods
• Helps bring in new residents
• Helps to heal communities
• Reflects and reveals our society
• Adds meaning to our cities
• Transforms our public spaces
• Sparks learning and ideas

And, I could add, helps foster the muse of creativity in others!

There are many reasons to support art in our community. Perhaps you’ll add your voice to mine, and let City Council know you appreciate Victoria’s public art.